I trapped full time for several years and did other things in the summer. I did farm work, worked on a commercial fishing boat in Alaska one summer, drove motorhomes from the Winnebago factory all over the US which was busy in the late winter through summer so it was a good fit with the trapping. The deal was back then you could make better than average wages from the trapping part of it so I had a pretty good year round income. These days you would starve on the income from trapping in the midwest where I did it.

It's a dream for you and I hope you pull it off. I did, but it was a lot different back then.

I am a young kid and Iím looking for a job that I can work during the summer and then trap in the fall to spring....Is it a realistic plan?

No.

As a young kid, with your life in front of you, you deserve a forthright, no BS answer.

Trapping is a hobby, at best a side gig.

You have your whole life in front of you and you probably have no idea what you really want out of life, but at some point it might include retirement, or having a family, or sending kids to school, or seeing more of the world that the farm fields around your town. None of which are going to be sufficiently funded by a 'trapping career'.

In the words of Mike Rowe, "Pursue opportunity, not your dreams". Trapping is a dream, and a low paying one. Opportunities come through hard work, persistence, skills, risk, and luck. Start thinking about what you can do to make enough money such that you can trap in your spare time, and still enjoy your working time. Start building skills and turning those into cash and opportunities.

I farmed from mid March to Oct then trapped full time before I got married. Sometimes I could squeeze April and May with some ADC work and turkey guideing, loved it for the time.taxidermy work was a help too. Of course that was when you could go without insurance for a while.

My sigestion in this market would be hone your skills and streamline your methods, of course you prolly got high doller cats and yotes so I guess your market looks good, get you a job that seasonal around here is go to mowing and land scapeing or farming, you can get tons of hrs in the summer this is important, work 80 hrs a week if you can and put all you can away so you got cusion if thangs change mid season, if your gonna ship fur it'll be Feb or March before you get payed. Id make 3 or 4 trips to my buyer through the season when I was doing it.I always looked at my bills like this if I monthly just an exampleTruck payment 100 Insurance 150 Health insurance 150 Utilities 200 Then I owe 600 a month so if I want to trap Nov through Feb I have too have a minimum of 2400 in savings (bank coffee can what ever) that money is Bill money DON'T TUCH IT then put in another 2400 so say 5000 bucks that will get you way down the road when the fur starts too fly. 5000 bucks any too hard to find in the summer of you work hard it's tough to find on the line in winter no matter how hard you work and when you do find it, it takes some time to convert. In short plan plan plan them work your but off. Good luck young man!! Wish you well. Colt

OP- do what you want it's your life you only got 1, don't neglect your responsibilities your family or religion and work hard it all winds up the same in the end can't take it with ya! I worked maintenance at a nursing home for a while,at that stage of life you can't tell the doctors from the ditch diggers! Colt

Thank you all for the great ideas they are all so helpful I think I can do this I will be graduating this year and plan to get a degree possibly in wildlife management I am willing to do most any work during the summers as long as I can get my fix trapping in my opinion it is the greatest way a person could choose to spend their time and trappers seem to be great people these responses further instilled these beliefs thank you all so much.

I am 14. I help out on farms around me here in the summer. I tried to start a summer mowing business but that didn't turn out too well. Most of the people around here don't trust a kid to mow their lawn. It might be different out there as far as people's ideas go. I had a good friend move back from Idaho after living there for 5 years say that mowing didn't happen very often with it being dry so that might not work very well.

"To not read the news is to be uninformed. To read the news is to be misinformed" -Mark Twain

I am a young kid and Iím looking for a job that I can work during the summer and then trap in the fall to spring....Is it a realistic plan?

No.

As a young kid, with your life in front of you, you deserve a forthright, no BS answer.

Trapping is a hobby, at best a side gig.

You have your whole life in front of you and you probably have no idea what you really want out of life, but at some point it might include retirement, or having a family, or sending kids to school, or seeing more of the world that the farm fields around your town. None of which are going to be sufficiently funded by a 'trapping career'.

In the words of Mike Rowe, "Pursue opportunity, not your dreams". Trapping is a dream, and a low paying one. Opportunities come through hard work, persistence, skills, risk, and luck. Start thinking about what you can do to make enough money such that you can trap in your spare time, and still enjoy your working time. Start building skills and turning those into cash and opportunities.

Best of luck.

Warning: this advice is based upon my personal values and is both general and specific.

It is your life to do with as you choose. However, I agree with the above comment. Create higher goals for yourself. Focus on achieving those goals. Always have the next goal or dream in mind while you are succeeding. Be satisfied with your successes. This is still the country of opportunity. Get creative. As a kid, I wanted to have a career that would allow me to do what I wanted in spare time and retire at a decent age. That worked for the most part. I am retired and have a full service wildlife business. I still work / play hard.

The more you know, the easier life is.

Enjoy life. Learn about music and art. Learn to play an instrument. Learn to speak a foreign language. Learn something new every day of your life.

Be honest and frugal. Other fundamental philosophies and values still work. Go to bed early. Get up early. Read autobiographies of very successful people and analyze their philosophies. Become involved with people smarter than yourself so you can learn from them. Donít automatically trust everyone you meet. Eat healthy and nutritious food. Guard your health. Stay away from booze, drugs, gambling, crime, and shady people. Think creatively. Apply yourself to whatever you do. When you work for someone make yourself be indispensable. Take calculated risks and chances. Put your name on your gear and tools. Work for your money and then make your money work for you. Become a Christian and live right.

Learn manners and etiquette so that you can be comfortable in any situation with anyone. Learn to speak and write well. Improve your vocabulary - learn a new word everyday. Learn how things work and how to repair them.

Donít let anyone drag you down or destroy your self-esteem. Donít let a woman derail your plans and change your focus. However learn and grow as a person in your relationships. Consider if a woman is right for you and you are good for her. You can always do what a friend did. He married a woman and after about 7-8 years learned that her parents who lived a very plain and frugal but comfortable life were incredibly wealthy. Her parents gave them a couple million dollars a year for many years. But, donít count on that happening.

I am 14. I help out on farms around me here in the summer. I tried to start a summer mowing business but that didn't turn out too well. Most of the people around here don't trust a kid to mow their lawn. It might be different out there as far as people's ideas go. I had a good friend move back from Idaho after living there for 5 years say that mowing didn't happen very often with it being dry so that might not work very well.

Don't worry about others mistrust in people your reputation will grow as you grow and they will see the greatness in you.

Been there done that the biggest issue in working for a State agency or institution is sometimes it's like you never got out of high school, if you want to get ahead pucker up. If your willing to work hard others will let you do that and ride that wave to their success!

Depending upon where you live in Idaho you could have several farm related jobs that would involve long days and weeks from say April to November.Potato farms may be looking for seasonal help and wheat farmers may need summer help.Idaho is the fastest growing dairy state so there should be lots of opportunity to work in the cropping end of these farms, several cuttings of hay with cutting, merging, chopping, hauling and then corn silage and all the manure needs to be hauled as well. You may work a lot of hours in 5-7 months and may get some benefits if hours are enough. If you work on the farms with the cattle that will be more year round.

SS it is great to see your ambition at such a young age it is rare nowadays. Dreams are wonderful and reality is just that reality. Consider a trade or skill with high demand. Learn that well and work hard and be frugal when your young. Turn your trade into your own business and grow that business into a successful career. While doing this trap all you can on the side. Life is long and to be able to enjoy much. Learn, earn and commit early so you can overcome and achieve many years to pursue your passions. Had $600 dollars when I graduate college and $15,000 dollars in debt. Saved all I could and never missed a day of pay in 25 years and retired at 46 with a pension and benefits. Now I still work at some things that pay. Landscape, yard mowing, bee hives, farming, referee, that all still pays but I love doing them and trapping pays the least but I still enjoy it. If I am fortunate to live to average age of 76 and stay in decent health thatís 30 years of doing what I enjoy, thatís way plenty for me. Sometimes you just have to have some foresight and plan your way some and you can make it happen. Coyotes and beaver will still be here. Good luck